Happy Vermintia Day
by Wraith Ink-Slinger
Summary: Dumbledore's Army is nearly caught and Luna gives Harry some advice with her odd brand of logic. Oneshot


Disclaimer: I don't own any of the ideas or characters that Ms. Rowling came up with.

A/N: Hullo! This is my first Harry Potter fic, and it's really random, but it pleases me… this is set after a time when the DA was nearly caught during the fifth book. It was the first time it had happened, I suppose… anywho, enjoy.

Harry walked down the twisting hidden passageways. Dumbledore's Army had nearly been caught tonight. For the first time, the thought really solidified in Harry's mind. _This was dangerous._ Perhaps they should quit while they still had a chance. Perhaps everyone would be too scared to show up to the next meeting… Perhaps he could go to sleep, wake up in the morning and find that this whole year had been a very bad dream… Harry was so busy pondering if he dared to hope for such a thing that he didn't notice a thin, blonde person come up behind him. "Hello, Harry. Happy Vermintia Day." Luna said in her dreamy voice

"AHG! Oh. Hullo, Luna. What are you doing here? And what was that you said?" Harry asked.

"You're not the only one who knows the secret hallways of this place. And I said Happy Vermintia Day." Luna told him dreamily.

It was just now, in the half-light, that Harry saw that Luna was wearing and odd, sequined veil draped across her nose and mouth and tucked just behind her ears that fell down below her waist. It was actually rather elegant, a change from Luna's normally-odd wardrobe. "What's a Vermintia and what are you wearing?" He asked her, half afraid of the answer.

"A Vermintia is a witch. She started the order of the Vermin Witches. You see, her name was Tia and she was a squib, but her lover didn't know it. She practiced magic with natural resources, rather than with a wand. When her lover found out, he called her vermin, vermin-Tia, and it caught on. Everyone called her Vermintia and she started an order of witches who can't do magic with wands, but do things with herbs and the like. She was later burned at the stake by a bunch of intolerant witches and wizards on a squib hunt. On that day, some women wear a veil and do not take it off all day accept to give a kiss to one who needs luck. This is because the day before Vermintia was sentenced to die, she did not eat all day and she gave all her luck in the form of kiss to one of her devout followers." Luna told him matter-of-factly, reminding Harry very much of Hermione.

It all sounded rather ridiculous to Harry, but then, most of Luna's folk tales did. "Why a veil?" He asked, deciding not to ask some ruder questions.

"Vermintia always wore a veil."

"Why?"

"She was afraid a vampire bat would one day fly into her mouth and she would choke on it and die."

Harry couldn't help himself, he snorted with suppressed laughter. "Do you need a hankie?" Luna asked, pulling one from her pocket.

"Er… no. I just… sorry, this Vermintia sounds a bit nuts."

"Maybe so." Came Luna's distant reply, "But she was still brilliant."

"I'm not sure being afraid of accidentally choking on a vampire bat counts as brilliant." Harry told her.

"You can be nuts and brilliant at the same time, can't you? Look at Dumbledore, for one. He's very odd, but he's amazing. And you don't question him."

"Well, no…"

"And you have no doubt that he has a plan of some kind to save us all, right."

"Well, sure, but…"

"Then don't question Vermintia. Sometimes it's better to just believe, Harry."

Harry didn't say anything. Once again, Luna's odd brand of wisdom came through. Harry realized that he had reached the Griffindor tower. "Well, good night, Luna." Harry said, turning to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Luna looked at Harry for a moment, and then began to look rather embarrassed under her veil, which was unusual for Luna. At last she pulled her veil down, stood up on tip-toes and pecked Harry on the cheek. "You'll need luck in your coming days." She told him, her voice loosing it's dreamy quality for a moment.

Harry only stood there for a moment as Luna began to walk off and the Fat Lady sighed, exasperatedly. "Well?" She asked.

"Oh. Hinkypunk." Harry said.

Before Harry climbed through the portrait hole, he turned back around. "Happy Vermintia Day, Luna." He said.

"May the Vermin Luck bless you, Harry." Luna answered dreamily.

Harry shook his head, entering the Common Room. _Only Luna…_

A/N: Hello all! No, I'm not really a supporter of Harry/Luna, I just love Luna and her oddness! Hope you liked it. (BTW, I have NO IDEA where the whole Vermintia thing came from… I just kinda made the whole thing up as I went.)


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